KOLKATA: Satadru Dutta, the main organiser of the ‘G.O.A.T India Tour’, was questioned for hours on Friday by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is probing lapses in crowd control, access management and the financial structure of the tour. Dutta was arrested on December 14, a day after chaos and vandalism broke out at the Yubabharati Krirangan during the high-profile event. Sources said investigators questioned him extensively about the issuance of ground access passes, initially cleared for only 150 people but later increased to nearly three times that number following pressure from an influential individual, as claimed by Dutta. The excessive distribution of passes led to a large number of people entering the field area, resulting in chaos, damage to property and serious disruption of the programme. The situation worsened when members of the crowd attempted to get physically close to Lionel Messi, with unwanted gestures reportedly leaving him visibly uncomfortable. Messi conveyed his concerns to the foreign security officer responsible for his protection, who immediately informed Dutta about the gravity of the situation while the event was still underway.
Following this, Dutta allegedly made repeated attempts to clear the ground, issuing multiple announcements urging people to vacate the field, but the crowd failed to disperse and normalcy could not be restored. The SIT has also examined the financial details of the tour, with sources saying Messi was paid Rs 89 crore for his India visit, while Rs 11 crore was paid as tax to the Indian government. Of the total Rs 100 crore expenditure, around 30 per cent came from sponsors, another 30 per cent was generated through ticket sales, and the remaining amount was collected from matches held in Hyderabad and Mumbai. The investigation is ongoing.